Vacuum fuel-feed device for internal-combustion engines



C. S. BURTON.

VACUUM FUEL FEED DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, I920.

IAQQfiQg; Patented Dec. 20, 1921.

J2 3 WITNESSES: [NVENTOR I afizafaw E6 ATTORNEYS features of construction shown and UNITED eat-TENT @IQQ CHARLES S. BURTON, 0F OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

- VAGU'UM' FUEL-FEED DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. BURTON a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and the State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Fuel- Feed Devices for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which'the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof. The purpose'of this invention is to provide an improved device for supplying liquid fuel from a low level main supply tank to a carbureter of an internal combustion engine, particularly adapted for such serv ice in connection with the engine of a mo tor vehicle. It consists in the elements apd (escribed as indicated in the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a'device embodying this invention in positional relation to the main supply tank and carbureter of a motor vehicle engine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section of a chamber and connections containing the distinguishing features of this invention.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a slight modification of the construction;

In the drawings 1 represents the main low level fuel supply tank of a motor vehicle.

'2 is a carburetor of the engine on such a vehicle. 3, 3, are pipe line connections from the tank, 1, to the carbureterf2, said pipe line connections comprising a IT-fitting, 4, a pipe member, 5, extending from the stem of the T upward to a chamber, 6, which is also included in the conduit from the main low tank to the carbureter. 7 is a pulsator comprising a cylinder, and a piston, 8, reciprocated therein by any convenient means which may be operated by the engine, as by' an eccentric, 9, mounted on a shaft, 10, rotated in any manner by connection with the engine or its parts or accessories, not shown. 11 is a pipe communicating from the chamber of the pulsator to the top of the chamber, 6, for producing alternately condition of partial vacuum and pressurein said chamber, 6, upon the alternate strokes-in opposite directions of the piston, 8, ofthe pulsator. It will be understood that this action causes the entire construction .to operate substantially as a pump, the suction stroke of the pulsator producing partial vac uum in the chamber, 6, tending to lift the Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. en, mail.

1920. Serial No. ceases.

fuel from a tank, 1, through pipe, 3, past the check valve, 12, in one branch of the T, and the compression stroke of the pulsator forcing the liquid out ofthe chamber, 6, past the check valve, 13, out toward the carbureter.

In this operation it will be seen that the liquid fuel will continue to be lifted as long as the engine is in operation, regardless of the requirements of the carbureter, and that eventually all the passages back to the pulsator will become filled with liquid, and that thereafter subsequent action of the pulsator operating without relief would tend to burst the connections. It is necessary, therefore, to'provide means for preventing the lifting of the liquid by the action of the pulsator, or preventing the liquid from being driven on by the pressure stroke after the chamber,

6, is filled to a certain height. For this purpose the chamber, 6, is provided with an atmosphere vent device and the means for controlling it which will now be described. The capplate, 15, of the chamber, 6, has on the upper side a hollow boss, 16, which is bored for connection at one end with the pipe, 11, leading from the pulsator, the bore opening freely at its lower side into the cavity of the chamber, 6, and constituting substantially a part of that cavity. At the end of the bore opposite that at which the pipe, 11, is connected, there is formed a valve seat, 17 through which a port, 18, opens to the atmosphere. A dust screen, 19, may be provided beyond the port-,that is, on the atmosphere side, to exclude dust. In the form shown in Fig. 3 this valve seat, 17, constitutes substantially a diaphragm or partition in the bore of the boss, 16, and the face which constitutes the valve seat is substantially vertical,that is, at right angles to the axis of the boss. A disk valve, 20, is provided, standing on edge, adapted to seat against this seat for closing the atmos phere port, and to lean slightly away from its seat for opening, check pins, 21, being provided to limit its movement away from its seat. A weighted latch, 22, pivoted for swinging in the vertical plane of the aXis of the atmosphere vent port, operates by gravity for holding the vent controlling valve seated. A float, 25, in the chamber, 6, is provided with a stem, 26, by which it is guided in a vertical path, the stem eX- tending down through the pipe, 5, and obtaining guidance in a spider, 27, at the opening in the chamber, 6,to which the pipe, 5,

is connected, and by a cross pin, 28, in the lower end of said stem. The float, 25, has projecting from its upper side at the center a finger, 29, which engages thelatch, 22, for lifting it away from valve-locking position when the float has been lifted by the inflow of liquid into the chamber, 6, to' a predetermined height, which is in fact determined in. the construction of the device by the dimensions of the parts, particularly the length of the finger, 29.

this form the angle at which the latch extends'to hold the valve, 20, seated is so near a right angle to the valve that though, being slig t-ly less than a right angle, i t 1s certain to hold the valve against its seat, and cannot be moved by any outward tendency of the valve, as upon the suction impulse. That is to say, the lever extends at what may be called a positive locking angle to the valve and exposed to the action of the float, which upon rising to the predetermined height lifts the latch to the position shown in dot- The operation of this construction, it will ted line in Fig, 3,. releasing the valve, 20,

be seen, is that when the liquid has been accumulated in the chamber, 6, to a point causing the float to lift the latch, 22, the vent-controlling valve, 20, will be free to open upon the suction stroke of the pulsator,

and the atmosphere relief thus afforded prevents the production of partial vacuum in the chamber, 6; but upon the pressure stroke of the pulsator the valve will be seated, and the pressure will operate to force the liquid from the chamber, 6,'on toward the carbufor producing respectively pressure and partial vacuum in the chamber, 6, c-ausing'the pumping action to be resumed, until again the level of the liquid in the chamber becomes such asto cause the float to lift the latch and release the vent valve. In the form shown in Fig. 2, the seat for the atmosphere vent valve, 20, is slightly inclined so that the valve tends normally to be seated; and ashoulder, 16, in the bore of the boss, 16, serves to retain the valve in the Vicinity of the seat. The seat is most conveniently formed by means'ofa sleeve, 16", having its inner end cut aslant, to afford the inclined seat described, the sleeve bein driven in liquidand air tight into the en of the bore toward which the shoulder, 16*, faces. A dust screen, 19", is inserted and secured outside the sleeve. Instead of a weighted latch for seating the vent valve, 20, there is provided a latch, 22", fulcrumed for swinging at its free end nearly to a position at right angles to the inclined valve seat by the time it has reached the outer face of the valve lying against said seat; and in that position the latch is subject to encounter of the upstanding finger, 29*, of the float which lifts it to a stop pin, 29. At this position the latch prevents the valve from escaping from the vicinity of its seat, or passing vertical position. It is therefore certain to be seated by the pressure impulse of the pulsator. It will be noticed that in so that it is free to be drawn from its seat by the suction, but is checked by the latch against passing] vertical position, and will therefore return to its seat by gravity upon cessation of suction. V v

In this respect this form is tobe distinuished from that shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

I claim 1. In a device for the purpose indicated, a conduit for connecting a main low level liquid supply tank with the carbureter to be supplied therefrom; a chamber comprised in said conduit; check valves in the conduit respectively antecedent and. subsequent to the chamber, both opening for flow toward the carbureter; a pulsator communicating with the upper part of said chamber for alternately producing partial vacuum and pressure therein; an atmosphere vent means communicating with said chamber; a valve which controls said vent positioned with respect to its seat for being normally opened by the suction impulse and held closed by the pressure impulse of the pulsator; movable means for holding the valve closed against the suction pull tending to open it; a float in the chamber, and means operate- 1 by the rise of the float to a predetermined height for withdrawing said movable means fromv valve-holding position.

2. In the construction defined in claim 1 foregoing, the vent-controllingvalve being a disk upstanding on edge, and thevalve seat being approximately in a. vertical plane.

3. In the construction defined in claim 1 foregoing, the vent-controlling valve being a disk upstanding on edge, and the valve seat being slightly inclined away from vertical position of the valve, and means for checking the valve against movement away from its seat past the vertical position.

4:. In the construction defined in claim 1 foregoing, the movable means for holding the valve closed being a pivoted latch device which is gravity-operated for locking the valve on its seat.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 7th day of June, 1920.

' CHARLES S, BURTON 

